TV tryouts grow into
TV tryouts grow into band aids
Reality TV: Format works on small screen, but can winners bring success to vet groups? — Ever since the arrival of"Pop Idol"in the U.K. and"American Idol"Stateside, television has been cranking out pop stars by the dozen as young unknowns have put themselves through the demands of judges and producers.
Bands on the Run
Reality TV: If video did indeed kill the radio star, then made-for-reality TV bands have their weapons drawn for the gussied-up video stars who fill what's left of musicvideo in music television. VH1 updates"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"for a trio of scruffy rock bands, adds an element of the entrepreneur contest at the heart of"Risky Business"and then gets it all on tape for"Bands on the Run."It's"Survivor Rock'n'Roll"for these bands of dubious distinction competing for fans'dollars and VH1 fame.
New'Life'for'50s reality
Reality TV: Alphabet brings back retro TV skein — ABC is reviving a 1950s reality chestnut, pacting with Fox TV Studios to produce a new version of"This Is Your Life."FTVS veepee Mindy Moore ("The Family") will exec produce, working with exec VP for alternative development Holly Jacobs.
Survivor
Reality TV: Who wants to be a millionaire? Sixteen people who abandoned their jobs, families and remote controls to spend 39 days on a South China Sea island — that's who. CBS'much-hyped"Survivor"doesn't have a phone-a-friend option and $200 questions about cereal aren't applicable. Instead, this"Real World"-meets-"Lord of the Flies"gamer offers up snakes, rats, cash and more personality conflicts than your average workplace.
Casting site keeps it real
Reality TV: Unscripted applications go online — In the digital age, your 15 minutes of fame may now be just one click away. Looking to build a business out of the hordes of Americans eager for a shot on"The Bachelor"or"The Apprentice,"Web site RTVstar.com launched last week as a hub for reality TV casting.
Survivor: The Australian Outback (Survivor II)
Reality TV: Die-hard fans might miss Richard, Rudy and the queen of tapioca, but there are plenty of greedy and paranoid players on the prowl for $1 million in"Survivor: The Australian Outback."CBS shrewdly scheduled its money train right after the Super Bowl, and the show that earned the year's most lucrative timeslot is sure to ignite hype and water cooler chatter once more. It should — it's the original and still the best.